


Hunting for Bigfoot in the Pendragon B&B

by kathkin



Series: Summerpornathon 2012 [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-07
Updated: 2013-07-07
Packaged: 2017-12-18 00:00:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/873410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kathkin/pseuds/kathkin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p> After his father gets sick, Arthur has to move back to Middle of Nowhere, Washington, to run the family B&B. The last think he needs is some weird English kid who's obsessed with Bigfoot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hunting for Bigfoot in the Pendragon B&B

**Author's Note:**

> For challenge 5 at the 2012 summerpornathon: myth and legend.

“I'd like a room,” says the skinny English kid at the front desk.

Arthur has to bite back a scathing retort. The Pendragon B&B is the last place he wants to be right now, and he'd been counting down the minutes till he could justify closing up for the night. He plasters on a smile. “Sure, how can I help you?”

The kid signs the register, an untidy scrawl that might have said _Mervyn_ or _Merlyn_ , then beams at Arthur.

“So what brings you to Washington?” Arthur asks as he hands the kid his key.

“Oh,” says Mervyn or Merlyn, “Bigfoot.”

*

Most of Arthur's guests keep to themselves. Arthur is used constantly juggling phone calls to his father, who insists on checking in twice a day, and a steady stream of demands and complaints. He's less used to these people trying to make honest-to-god conversation.

“These are really good,” Merlin – because that's his name, it turns out – says when Arthur serves him his pancakes. (Which should be Gwen's job, really, as the cook, but Arthur doesn't trust her, she won't stop cooing over how, like, _adorable_ Merlin's accent is.) “These are the _best_.”

“Best pancakes in town,” says Arthur, even though they aren't. He hangs by the table of a few seconds. He's curious. It's off-season, not the right time of year for tourists, and the kid's so young.

“Are you going to stand there and watch me eat?” says Merlin.

“Just wandering what brought you to town,” Arthur asks. “How old are you? You out of school?”

“Well, yes,” Merlin scowls. “Like I said. Bigfoot.” He pauses. “Just inherited some money. Though I'd just, y'know, go.”

*

Merlin does the bigfoot tour, like everyone does, and comes back flushed and excited with a blurry video on his phone that he shoves in Arthur's face. Arthur doesn't see any sasquatch but he nods and smiles.

But after that Merlin mostly hangs around town and around the lounge in the B&B. He stays for a week, and then another, until his constant presence starts to grate. He seems at home. The weather's probably familiar to him.

Arthur misses California. He misses spending time with people who haven't known him since he was in diapers. He misses not having to talk to his father twice a day. He misses not working in a goddamn B&B.

*

He takes Merlin out hiking, since Merlin's a city kid and would probably break his neck out in the woods if Arthur left him alone, and Merlin chatters the whole time. The next day Merlin comes into the B&B with a plush bigfoot and announces shyly that he's going to name it Arthur.

Arthur _really_ misses California.

*

Merlin finds Arthur's chest hair endlessly amusing. “You're so hairy,” he laughs. “Like a sasquatch.”

“I'm not a fucking sasquatch,” says Arthur, then hisses as Merlin's tongue rasps over his nipple, hot and rough. He shoves Merlin downwards. “Put that tongue to better use, will you?”

“Yes, sir,” says Merlin.

*

After, Arthur feels a sick kind of guilt, because Merlin's so goddamn young, and because Merlin will barely look him in the eye. He mumbles his way around the B&B, constantly hunched in on himself, and Arthur knows it's him Merlin has a problem with because he's seen him about town, he saw him talking to Gwaine in the diner just yesterday, and he was happy and obnoxious as ever.

*

Merlin leaves Arthur the toy Sasquatch in the lounge, like he doesn't want it any more.

*

It's all about terribly timing in the end. Arthur hangs up on his father in mid-argument and punches the stupid, flimsy wall of the B&B, then storms down the corridor and walks straight into Merlin. Merlin, wide-eyed and desperate.

“I'm sorry,” Merlin stammers.

“Get out of the way,” Arthur snarls, and Merlin's face twists – he thinks it's him, he thinks Arthur is angry with him.

“I'm sorry,” says Merlin, “I am – what happened – we shouldn'tve. I shouldn't even be here.”

“Yeah?” says Arthur, because he doesn't know what else to say.

“I don't give a shit about bigfoot,” Merlin says. “It was my uncle. This was his thing. He always said he'd go. That we'd go. He died last year –” Merlin's voice cracks a little, “– and he left me the money, so – I just got on a plane.”

“That's nice,” says Arthur. He thinks back to all the time he's willed his father to just fucking _die_ already.

“Not really,” says Merlin. “That money was supposed to get me through university. I dropped out. He'd be so angry with me right now.” He wipes at his face.

“Don't start crying,” says Arthur.

“I'm not crying,” Merlin snaps, a bit too quickly. “I just. I'm running out of money, but I can't go home. I just can't.”

It's on the tip of Arthur's tongue to say _stay_.

*

Their second time is a little more subdued and a whole lot more awkward. Merlin's elbows keep jabbing at Arthur, and he keeps apologising, every time it happens.

“Sorry,” he says, “sorry!”

“Stop apologising,” Arthur mutters, and pins Merlin down to the bed. He's a guest, and he's just a kid, and they really shouldn't, but they do.

He pushes those thoughts out of his head and gives the most enthusiastic blow job of his life, sucks Merlin's dick until his mouth is burning and Merlin shouts in an adorably British way and comes all over his face.

Arthur punches the stupid stiff B&B pillow, hard, hard enough that it almost hurts the way he wants it too. Merlin clutches at him, pulling him down into an embrace, mumbling comforting nonsense. _Shh, shh_. It shouldn't help, but it does.

Arthur wants so much to say _stay_ , but he shouldn't.  



End file.
